[Peetwo]

O&O report: AI-2018-010 - The approval processes for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre 

Via the Oz:

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Essendon Airport report delays slammed

ROBYN IRONSIDE
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The aftermath of the DFO crash on February 21, 2017. Picture: Jason Edwards

• 12:00AM FEBRUARY 7, 2020
  
  
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An investigation into the building approvals process for land at Essendon Airport is taking almost twice as long as the plane crash investigation that triggered it.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau began its examination of the approvals process for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre almost three years ago, after the crash of a King Air B200 into the DFO building on February 21, 2017.

All five people aboard the charter flight to King Island — pilot Max Quartermain and four American tourists — were killed in the incident.

The final report on the crash was released in September 2018, but more than a year later the related investigation into the potential hazard posed by buildings around the airport is still going.
Information obtained by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots under freedom of information laws showed the draft report was actually released to “interested parties” in November 2018.

Subsequently the investigator-in-charge contacted the coroner, saying the final report was due to be released in mid-December.

But that date came and went and more than a year later, AFAP is still waiting for the ATSB to release the report. In a letter to ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood, AFAP safety and technical officer Julian Smibert sought an explanation.

“During these delays in the publication of the report, development at Essendon Airport has continued unabated, including further construction within the OLS (obstacle limitation surface) and the narrowing of the runway in order to facilitate more construction,” Mr Smibert wrote.

“In addition the maximum permitted mass of aircraft using the airport has been increased from 45 to 50 tonnes, despite the reduction in runway width.”

The ATSB’s investigation summary showed the report on the approvals process was now due to be released by the end of next month.

An ATSB spokesman said the report had been delayed by detailed feedback from directly involved parties that prompted more discussion.

“A second draft of the investigation report incorporating and addressing feedback from all parties was provided to them on 30 September 2019,” he said.

The process was made more complex by the fact the approval process was put in place nearly 20 years ago, he added.

On 21 February 2017, a building that is part of the Essendon Airport Bulla Road Precinct retail centre was struck by a Beechcraft King Air B200 (VH-ZCR). The ATSB’s preliminary report for this accident was published in March 2017. This preliminary report stated that the approval process for this building would be a matter for further investigation.

The building was part of the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre development, which was proposed by the lessee of Essendon Airport in 2003 and approved by the Federal Government in 2004.

Due to the specialist nature of the approval process and airspace issues attached to the retail centre development, and not to delay the final report into the accident from February 2017, the ATSB has decided to investigate this matter separately.

The investigation will examine the building approval process from an aviation safety perspective, including any airspace issues associated with the development, to determine the transport safety impact of the development on aviation operations at Essendon Airport.

A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, relevant parties will be immediately notified so that appropriate safety action can be taken.

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Hmm...maybe this might help explain the delay...


Ref: https://auntypru.com/setting-the-odds-and-playing-em/

While trolling the Hooded Canary's ATCB website, I happened to come across the following interesting and somewhat disturbing FOI disclosure log entry which I gather was the original released documents from the AFAP FOI request (article above) :  FOI 19-20(1) documents

All emails, letters and other communications between the ATSB and external parties – including but not limited to DIPs – pertaining to the release of ATSB investigation AI-2018-010: The approval processes for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre from 1 November 2018 to present day.

 
Extract from the released documents:

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From that we can deduce that AI-2018-010:

...a) has been suspended at the DRAFT report/DIP and/or Final Report approval process for nearly 16 months; and
b) that the Victorian Coroner is now (since November 2018) a directly interested party to this investigation.

"...An ATSB spokesman said the report had been delayed by detailed feedback from directly involved parties that prompted more discussion..."

This begs the question is the Coroner's inquest and subsequent parallel findings the reason why this report has been severely O&O'd?


MTF...P2